From the beginning
by TechnologyGeek5330
Summary: This is the whole story the beginning as Pepper begins her first day in SI and her experiences with Tony Stark as employee, friend, and eventually lover. Starts at Pre-IM until post-IM 3. Movieverse until IM3, followed by AU. Eventual Pepperony fluff.
1. Phone call from home

Note: Sadly, I do not own any of the following characters, except for Pepper's family. Please read and review. I love feedback :)

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Virginia heard her phone ring as she brushed her teeth. She gargled and spat before picking up, already knowing who was on the other side of the line. "Hey Saydie", she said cheerily, walking out of the bathroom.

"Ginny! How was it? Tell me, tell me!" Saydie squeaked across the line.

Rolling her eyes, Virginia feigned cluelessness. "How was what?"

"Come on, Ginny. Stop pretending. You know _what_. Did you see him? Is he as hot as he is in the magazines?"

"Well-" She was cut off mid-sentence

"No. Wait wait wait. Mom just got back. She's gonna want to hear this," groaning, Virginia shook her head. She could picture her little sister jumping up and down as she eager screamed for her mother to come over.

"Hi, Honey." She heard her mother greet her.

She smiled. "Hey, Mum. How are you?"

She heard shuffling before her sister's voice broke across the line again, "Oh, I'm good honey. Have you had dinner? Yes, mom. Thanks. That's great, honey. How was your day? ENOUGH already. You're on speaker. Stop stalling and tell us. How was it? And IS HE HOT?!"

Virginia chuckled at her sister's exasperation. "Okay, okay I'll tell you. I got my desk assigned to me, and my boss, Ms Judy Philman, led me around the office. You know, showing me around, introducing me to people. That's when I met…"

"Uh huh, keep going"

"Nick."

"NICK?!" her sister spat.

"Yeah, Nick." She replied, smirking. She knew that was not the person her sister wanted to hear about. "He's a really cute guy from legal. He even brought me out to lunch at break time"

"Wait, so you _didn't _meet him?"

"Meet who?" She asked, acting clueless. She could hear her mother laughing at the end of the line.

"Who? Who? WHO?" her sister's aggravation was growing.

"Come on, honey. Stop teasing your sister." Her mother's light voice playfully berated her.

"I'll tell you WHO!" her sister started up again. "Tony Stark, the God of all things hot, and smart, and dreamy, and sexy"

As her voice trailed off, Virginia could almost see her sister drooling onto the kitchen counter. "Oh him!" She exclaimed a bit too loudly. "No, I didn't meet Mr Stark"

"You didn't?" her sister voice sounding more disappointed by the second.

"Of course not, Saydie. He's the CEO, and I'm just an accounting clerk in one of his lower offices. He doesn't go out of his way to meet every single one of his employees. I'm sorry" Virginia tried to sound comforting, but she knew her sister was really hoping she would meet Tony Stark. Like most girls, her sister had a huge celebrity crush on the dreamy eyed genius.

"Oh. Well, in that case, I've got homework to do. I'll pass the phone to mom. See ya."

"Bye, Saydie." She replied, flopping down on her pillow.

"So, this Nick boy, he sounds nice" her mother egged her on. She smiled contentedly and began describing her first day at work at Stark Industries, and the attractive young intern from the legal department.

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Don't forget to review :) I welcome your comments, even if it's criticism.


	2. Unexpected mistakes

Note: The _italics _are Pepper's thoughts.

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It had been a month since Virginia had started working at Stark Industries. Gently tapping on her computer screen, she couldn't help but think with an underlying hint of disappointment that she was going nowhere. A month into her job and she was still working in one of the lower offices. _It's only been a month,_ she reasoned sternly. _By now I should be out of here. Even Nick was promoted to middle office by his third week. _

Nick. She couldn't help but smile, thinking about their date last Tuesday. He'd bought her roses and chocolates because he couldn't decide which to get. They had dinner at a fancy Italian and walked barefooted along the beach, under the stars. It was the typical movie cliché that she swore was too cheesy for her to fall for. Yet, here she was, in the middle of the day, thinking about Nick's adorable smile and the way he kissed her goodnight. The way he looked at her, like she was the most beautiful person in the world, she'd almost invited him in for 'coffee', but decided against it; she just wasn't that type of girl.

Through her consistent tapping, something suddenly registered in her mind. _Wait. Go back. That's not right. _She was staring at a tax invoice totalling up to $30,000,000 at the bottom. _Thirty million? That can't be right. This company definitely banks in more than that in a day, let alone in a week. _Pulling out her calculator, she began to input the digits. Sure enough, the sum came up to over ten times that value. _Tony Stark made an error?_

She skimmed over the contents again before printing out the sheet and hastily making her way to her boss's office. Nervously, she straightened her suit and tapped lightly on the door.

"Come in," came the reply, sounding aggravated; unmistakably her overbearing boss.

"Good morning, Ms Philman," Virginia greeted her cordially, snobby or not, this lady was her boss after all.

"Yes, yes. What can I do for you?" even though her choice of words seemed polite enough, she somehow managed to sound irritated and dismissive.

Professional as ever, Virginia refused to let that woman's tone to get to her, she'd only been there a month and she was planning on staying longer. "This is last week's tax invoice from Edward's Air Force" she held out the printed paper. "There appears to be a mistake in the total sum. A calculation error."

"With all due respect, Miss…"

"Potts"

"Right, Miss Potts. I'm afraid you're mistaken. That invoice was processed by Mr Stark himself, and Mr Stark does not make mistakes. Now, if you would please leave, some of us here actually have pressing matters to attend to.

Virginia stood there, staring at her boss, the paper still in her hand. _Condescending bitch._ "My apologies, ma'am, I don't mean to bother you, but I assure you, there is a mistake in in this document. I have thoroughly checked it repeatedly."

By now, Ms Philman just looked utterly pissed. "Well then, Miss _Potts_," she said with venom in her voice, "why don't you check it again or perhaps learn some basic math. In the meantime, remove yourself from my office, or I will have you removed."

"Yes, ma'am," she replied as courteously as she could through grinded teeth and stalked out of the room, seething.

_What's the point of hiring me if they're not even going to listen to me? _She returned to her desk, thoroughly frustrated. _It's not right to just leave this alone. This is a huge mistake. It could cost Mr Stark over hundreds of millions. _

Staring at the piece of paper mocking her from its spot on her desk, Virginia began to reason with herself. _This is my job. It would be unprofessional to allow such a gaping error just pass through disregarded just because I'm upset with the little bitch upstairs. Then again, what can I do? They're not even going to take a glance at the document. What's worse, it's not even their money they're messing with. That's it. They don't care. It's not their money. It's Mr Stark's money. He'll care. He'll listen._

In a sudden burst of courage, she picked up the paper and stalked out of her office, walking as fast as she could, her heels click clacking on the floor with her haste. She ignored the staring faces of her colleagues, she was going to see Mr Stark before she chickened out.

The elevator ride seemed to go by in a flash. She could hardly remember pushing the button to Mr Stark's floor, while she stared at the LCD screen that flauntingly sped through the floor levels in a desperate attempt to formulate a plan. It was a desperate attempt that she failed at completely. Her mind was too preoccupied by the loud thunderous beating of her heart that she felt would explode at any second.

She heard a ding and a faint whoosh as the elevator doors opened. _Well, here goes nothing._

Stepping out of the elevator, she looked around, noticing just how bigger and brighter the space is up here. Instead of almost fifty clustered desks, divided by thin screens, there was only about five offices, divided by actual, real walls. _Mr Stark is definitely up here somewhere. Who do the rest of the offices belong to? Board directors? Yeah, most probably. _The windows were huge, reaching from floor to ceiling, but neither the light that shone brightly in nor the beautiful scenery from this high up seemed to calm her nerves. Matching her earlier speed, she strode down the corridor, all the while glancing at the names on the door before spotting the one she was after right at the end of the hallway.

To her dismay, halfway down the hall, a voice called out from behind. "Hey, Miss! Stop! What are you doing? You're not supposed to be here!"

She spun around to see a tall, plump man with dark curly hair step out of the elevator. He was running up the aisle, catching up to her. She knew he would reach her soon, she couldn't run faster than him, especially in shoes she was wearing. Instead, she opted to answer him, "I need to see Mr Stark urgently about a very pressing matter." She tried to be courteous, but by now she was panicking and her voice rose an octave louder than she intended.

He was standing in front of her now, between her and Mr Stark's office. He spoke to her, not unkindly, but sternly, "I'm sorry, ma'am, but I cannot allow that. Mr Stark is busy and must not be disturbed. I must ask you to leave this floor; you do not have permission to be here. If you like, you can apply for an appointment with Mr Stark."

"No, you don't understand, I'm from accounting, and I need to talk to Mr Stark. There was a mistake." The urgency in her voice was unmistakable, but the man seemed unfazed.

He grabbed her gently by the shoulder, "please, ma'am, don't make this harder on yourself. If you would come with me, I need to escort you off this floor."

It was obvious that the man tried to be reassuring, but he failed miserably. Virginia felt her panic peak. By now, she was full on shouting at the man. "No! Let me go! I need to speak to Mr Stark!"

It was no use, the man was unwavering. He grabbed hold of both her shoulders, trying not to hurt her and started to drag her back across the hall. But it seemed useless. Virginia was flailing about, not making it easy on him, no, not easy at all. "Let me go! I have a pepper spray, and I swear I'm not afraid to use it!"

Before the man could offer a retort, another voice cut through them. "What's going on here?" Immediately, the struggle stopped. They stood there, the man's hands firmly grasping Virginia's shoulders, while her own were threateningly shuffling through her handbag.

Virginia looked up, slightly startled. She recognised the man from the numerous photographs she'd seen. _Tony Stark. _He was wearing a neatly pressed, and undoubtedly expensive, suit with a sky blue and silver striped. Looking sharp, and slightly amused, he looked at her expectantly.

She felt her stomach flutter, _wow, he is actually kinda cute. Ugh get a hold of yourself, Virginia Potts! _She recovered quickly and answered the man as calmly, and at the same time, as firmly as she could. "Mr Stark, my name is Virginia Potts, I work for you in the accounting department. I need to speak to you urgently."

"Oh, really now?" He offered her a smile. "May I ask what about?"

Tony's smile was kind, and soothed her nerves quite a bit. _It makes his beautiful face so much more beautiful. What? Where did that come from? Stop it, Virginia. _"This-" she started to answer as she tried to step forward with her hand held out in front of her, the crumpled paper still her hand. But she didn't move at all, instead, she turned to glare at the other man's hands which were still on her.

As if on cue, Tony spoke up, "it's okay, Happy. You can let her go."

Virginia tried again, this time managing to walk up to Mr Stark until she stood all but a few feet in front of him. She held out the crumpled paper and spoke up, looking professional and smart, as if she hadn't just spent the last few minutes struggling against a gigantic mammoth of a man. "This is last week's tax invoice from Edward's Air Force. If you look through the numbers, I believe you'd find that you stand to lose two hundred and eighty-five million dollars from a calculation error."

Obligingly, Mr Stark took the invoice from her, and a mere second later looked back up to her. "What did you say your name was again?"

_Oh no. Why does he want to know my name? Did I make mistake? Maybe I should have checked it again, just to be sure. No, no. You're being ridiculous. There is definitely something wrong there. _Ignoring her inner turmoil, she promptly responded, "Potts, sir. My name is Virginia Potts".

"Miss Potts, which branch do you work for?"

_Oh, here we go. I've made a mistake. He's going to fire me. I've ruined his morning for nothing. There is no mistake. Dammit, I should have just let it go like I've been told. _"C-Wing lower offices, sir."

"C-Wing. Isn't Pullman in charge of that section?"

"No, sir. It's Ms Philman."

"Oh yes, right, Philman. Why didn't you just take this up with her, instead of coming up here yourself?" He didn't sound angry, rather just curious, Virginia reflected.

"I tried to, sir. But she didn't believe that you would make a calculation error."

Mr Stark laughed, looking genuinely amused. "So you came all the way up here to haggle with my bodyguard? I gotta say, Miss Potts, I'm very impressed." Virginia could feel a blush creep up her neck, but before she could respond, Mr Stark was talking again. "You've got guts, I'll give you that. Believe it or not, it's not every day that I get to see a beautiful woman, like yourself, threaten a former wrestler with a pepper spray that she clearly doesn't have."

Her ears were tingling now. She was just complimented by the Tony Stark. And what's more, he had called her beautiful. "Err… thank you?" it came out as a question. She didn't know what to say, all she do was try not to look too awkward and embarrass herself.

"I'll tell you what, darl, I'll get this straightened out. But in the meantime, how would you like to come and work for me?"

"I'm sorry, sir. But already work for you."

Tony gave out a roaring peal of laughter. "Right you are, Miss Potts. I should clarify. I mean, how would you like to work directly for me, as my executive assistant?"

Tony Stark's PA? She felt like she was floating, that was way up the ladder from her current position, and she'd heard the office gossips of all his previous PA's. Personally, she didn't see herself like that. "I'm sorry, sir. I don't understand. I'm just one of your lower office accounting clerks. I don't think I'm-"

"Qualified?" Stark cut her off. "Why, Miss Potts, I believe you should let me be the judge of that. Come on, give yourself a chance. Besides, I'm currently in dire need for an assistant that I can trust to pick up my slack. What better person than you?"

He was staring at her intently, waiting for an answer. _Staring at me with those big, brown anime eyes. God, I can't think with him looking at me like that. _"Err…"

"It's okay. You don't have to answer me right away. Take the rest of the day off. You just saved me three hundred million. I believe you've deserved a bit of time to unwind after the events of this morning. Think about my offer, but have an answer by tomorrow. I'll have Happy here pick you up from your residence in the morning. If you don't want to take me up on my offer, he'll bring you here, you'll still have your job, no harm done. But if you choose to accept my offer, he'll take you to my place and you can start your new job right away. Do we have a deal, Miss Potts?"

She glanced down as he extended out his arm and back up to his warm, inviting smile. Returning his smile, she firmly grasped the hand he offered her and shook. "Yes, sir. Thank you."

"Don't mention it, Miss Potts. Now, if you'll excuse me, I believe I have a tax invoice to correct and a few people to fire." He gave her one last heart-melting smile before returning to his office.

Virginia was smiling the rest of the day as she went home and excitedly phoned her family back home and told them of the day's events.

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Please review :) I love feedback, and I won't bite.


	3. A change of scene

**Hey guys. First off, thanks a lot to musicmixer08, believeinangel, nancyozz and JanSaav for your support and reviews. Your kind words really went a long a way in encouraging me to write the next chapter. You guys are great and you really made my day. So cheers, and here's the next part. I hope you enjoy it.**

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Sure enough, when Virginia stepped out of her apartment building the next day, Mr Stark's bodyguard from the day before was waiting for her. He was standing, facing her, with his back toward a very sleek, sexy looking Audi RS 7 that has clearly been personalised to add style.

"Good morning, Miss Potts." He said as he opened the door to the backseat of the car. She noticed that unlike yesterday, he seemed more relaxed. Of course, the bright smile on his face as he spoke was a dead giveaway to that bit of information.

"Good morning." She replied, just as kindly. She felt like she owed him at least to be amiable, after all, with his duty of protecting Mr Stark out of the way, he seemed like a nice enough guy. She slid into the seat and felt the door close softly beside her. A few seconds later, the engine was running.

Still smiling, he turned to face her from the driver's seat as he asked, "have you decided on our destination, Miss?"

She bit her lip nervously. Truthfully, her answer would be not really. Over the night, she had changed her mind back and forth over her decision. As she walked out the door a few minutes ago, she decided that she would firmly, but politely, refuse. However, now as she was sitting here, she couldn't help but think of the opportunity she was giving up on, all for nothing but a dead end desk job and a life a as another corporate nobody. On the other hand, Tony Stark was infamous for his difficult to handle attitude and his scandalous relationships with his personal assistants, all of which he'd slept with and fired the very next day. Even his last assistant, a very esteemed Columbia University graduate, hardly lasted a month.

Having trouble making up her mind, she turned to the driver. "What's your name?"

He extended his hand to her. "I'm Harold Hogan, ma'am, but you can call me Happy. It's a pleasure to meet you."

She shook his hand and smiled at him. "It's a pleasure to meet you too, Happy. Can I ask you a question?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Do you enjoy working for Mr Stark?"

Happy chuckled and answered. "Yes, ma'am. I really do. Don't get me wrong, the boss can be a handful sometimes, but generally, he's a nice man to work for."

"What do you mean?" she asked curiously.

"Well, ma'am, I've been a bodyguard for quite a few rich people before, but Mr Stark, he doesn't look down his nose at you. He parties a little bit too hard," Happy chuckled in thought. "Yes, that he does. And more often than not, he has too much to drink, but the boss treats you like a friend instead of another name on his pay check, if you get what I mean."

She smiled at his answer. Yes, she did know what he meant. _Happy seems to be fond enough of him. Besides, if the people under Mr Stark's employ are this nice, it can't be too bad to work for him. _"Thanks, Happy. You've helped me a lot. Could you take me Mr Stark's residence, please?"

"No problem, ma'am."

The rest of the way was fairly quiet, save for her thundering heart, which she wouldn't be surprised if even Happy could hear from the front seat. She was so nervous that she jumped when she felt her phone buzz in her pocket. Frowning, she pulled it out and looked at the sender ID of the text message. _Oh crap. I forgot to tell Nick not to pick me up. _

She'd been carpooling with Nick since her first week at SI, when he'd found out that she couldn't afford a car and asked her how she'd been getting to work. Eagerly, she read the text:

**Hey, babe. **

**What's going on? Heard you had some sort of incident yesterday? **

**Philman was fuming when she packed up her office. Said it had**

**something to do with you. I'm outside your place. Are you coming in today?**

**Received: 08:37:15am, 09-05-2000**

**From: Nick Collins**

She hadn't meant to not tell him. She'd just forgotten. Frowning at herself, she composed a reply:

**Hey Nick.**

**I'm sorry. I forgot to tell you. Mr Stark hired me as his personal assistant.**

**I start working for him today. Don't wait for me. I've already left.**

** More details later. Wish me luck. **

**Delivered: 08:39:28am, 09-05-2000**

**Sent to: Nick Collins**

"We've arrived at Mr Stark's mansion, ma'am. Ring the doorbell. JARVIS will let you through. Good luck." Happy said from the front seat of the car.

"Thanks, Happy." Virginia gave him a nervous smile as she stepped out of the car. She heard the car drive away, but she was too busy taking in the scenery. Happy wasn't kidding when he called it a mansion.

Stark's house was huge, and not to mention breathtaking. There were palm trees skilfully littered around the place, seemingly unplanned and yet too aesthetically pleasing to not have been. The house itself was hanging off a cliff, facing the ocean. Virginia didn't know what to expect, but this was definitely not it. It was shaped in some kind of weird design, round in some places that connected through the middle. Honestly, she thought it looked like a space ship out of Star Wars, but that didn't mean she didn't like it.

Following Happy's instructions, she rang on the doorbell. A second later, a man with an English accent spoke up from a small speaker beside the buzzer. "Welcome to Mr Stark's residence. Please state your name and business." The voice was cordial, but she was more than a little shocked that it wasn't Mr Stark that answered the door. _Of course he has a butler. The guy's a billionaire. _She was surprised she hadn't considered it.

"Virginia Potts. I'm here for the job as Mr Stark's personal assistant."

"Good morning, Ms Potts. The door has been unlocked. Please enter to commence security scan. Mr Stark will be with you in the main living area shortly."

She had no clue what the butler meant by security scan, but she decided to do as told anyway. She gasped as she walked through the door. Sure, judging from the outside, she knew it was going to probably looked just as good on the inside. Still, she was amazed by the sight that greeted her.

The room was huge, and not to mention beautiful in a modern style décor type of way. The couch could probably fit at least 10 people, the fireplace was oddly sloping, but somehow classy, and there was even a small bar by the corner. The windows were like the ones back at the office, full length, only clearer and more stylish, if anything, it brought out the colour on the bright walls perfectly.

In true Tony fashion, he'd kept her waiting, and as beautiful as the house was, it couldn't keep her entertained forever. All she could do sit in the oversized couch, waiting impatiently, her nerves rising by the second.

"Security scan complete," the English voice appeared again. Virginia jumped, looking around for where it came from, but there was nobody around.

"That's just JARVIS." She turned to find Tony Stark beaming at her. "He runs the house."

Unlike yesterday, he wasn't wearing an incredibly figure flattering, designer suit. Instead, he'd opted for a faded pair of jeans and an equally figure flattering tight AC/DC t-shirt covered in grease stains. His hair was mussed rather than slickly combed back. _Damn, the guy looks hot and rugged even when he's sporting the whole sloppy look. Focus, Ginny, professional thoughts._

"Where is he?" She asked, more than just a little bewildered.

"Oh, he's all around. He's an AI, so you'll never see him, but don't worry. Sooner or later, you'll get used to talking to walls."

"You have an AI butler?" she asked in awe. _Of course he does. Billionaire, genius… ring any bells?_

"Yes, I know, it weird, but he's really handy to have around."

"Thank you, sir." The AI responded to Tony's compliment.

"I'm glad to see you took me up on my offer. Ready for your first day at work, Pepper?"

"I'm sorry, what did you just call me?" she asked incredulously.

"Pepper. Like the pepper spray." He answered like it was the natural thing in the world.

She felt a blush creeping up her neck. _Why do I keep doing this around him?_ "My name is Virginia Potts." She told him, not rudely, just in case he'd forgotten.

"Hmmm…" Tony scrunched up his nose and cocked his head as if in deep thought. She couldn't help but think he looked slightly adorable. _Oh, great. Don't start on this again._ "No, I think I like Pepper better. Come on, I'll show you the house."

"This is the kitchen, and here's the dining room. I don't use it much though." She was stunned speechless, stopping to take a look around, but he was already moving onto the next room. "Come on, follow me. Here's the second living room. The TV in here is better than the other room, so I just call it the movie room. Downstairs is the guest rooms, the utility rooms, gym, outdoor swimming pool, as well as the third living room and bar."

Tony was leaning against the grand piano, his dark brown eyes sizing her up as she admired the hanging glass chandelier. Feeling his eyes on her, she turned to look back at him. _He's waiting for me to say something_, she realised. Clearing her throat, she said truthfully, "You have a beautiful home, Mr Stark." _Huh, yeah, beautiful. Understatement of the century._

Seemingly satisfied, he gave her that drop dead gorgeous grin of his. "JARVIS has given you access to all areas of the house. There's an intercom system built into the tables and the TV is internet accessible. If you need anything, JARVIS is available, just speak up. He'll teach you how to use the equipment. You can use any room you like, but not the one down the hall; that's my bedroom." His grin turned into a sultry smirk, and the tugging in her chest told her that she was in so much trouble. "Although, if you insist on utilising that room, I'm sure we can find a purpose for it."

She glared holes into his back, her mouth agape as he strutted self-satisfactorily down the hall. _Oh, the man is hot alright, no doubt about that, but he is definitely gonna be some piece of work._

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**That's it. Pepper's first day working for Tony. Don't forget, reviews are always welcome, even criticisms. So RnR guys :)**


	4. Over It

**Hey guys. I know it's been awhile since the last chapter. You know, with classes and whatnot. But enough excuses, here's the next chapter. Thanks heaps to nancyozz, musicmixer08, Italian writer, McMuffin and L'ange demoniaque. Your reviews have really gone a long way in encouraging me to write this chapter. You guys are the best, so cheers to you. I hope you enjoy.**

**P.S. Just a reminder, _italics _are Pepper's thoughts.**

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It had taken her a week, a full week but she finally cracked.

The day had started off at its usual pace; meaning Pepper was up and out her door by 6.30am. She'd catch a cab and get to Tony's by 7.00am, by which time she'd run the coffeemaker and gulp down as much coffee as humanly possible before getting right to work. She'd spend a whole two hours replying to emails and answering calls, setting up Stark's agenda for not only days, but months in advance. Even though she was only a week into her job, she was already feeling the pressure.

Tony Stark is a genius by every definition of the word. He is a visionary, scholar, charismatic, and definitely charming. That much has been proven by the ladies that literally fall at his feet, and I mean literally. But one thing about him that Pepper wasn't too fond of, he is also an overbearing man-child. It was this side of Tony Stark that got her hands all clammy at the prospect of tonight's Royal Hospital benefit. She was sure that she'd have to go through hell and high water by day's end.

Being Stark's PA, all eyes were on her when it came to ensuring that he got the job done and turned up to important events, which was why when the clock stroke six, she took it upon herself to check on him.

Shoes click clacking on the shiny marble floor, Pepper strode confidently into the workshop, ready for whatever Tony had to throw at her. She typed in her code and glanced around for Tony, spotting him exactly where she suspected he'd be; working on the Hot Rod with his feet poking out from underneath the car. She shook her head and asked JARVIS to turn down the music before turning to him.

"Please don't turn down my music," he said as if on cue; the typical start to almost all their conversations in the workshop.

Ignoring him, she got straight to business. "Mr Stark, the Royal Hospital fundraising benefit starts in an hour. Seeing as you are host of the event, you are expected to be there on time."

"Really? They expect me to? Wow, these people must not know me at all."

Tony's remark didn't impress her at all. "You have signed on as the hosting party, knowing full well the responsibilities it entails. I suggest you be there on time and greet your guests like a gracious host."

"Ooh. Look who's getting bossy. You know, you look sexy when you do that," he said as he pushed himself from under the car to look up at her. "This angle suits you very well, very flattering, Pepper."

Feeling her blood rush to her ears, Pepper retorted, keeping her tone in check, "too bad it does nothing for you." _Well, that was a bold faced lie._

"Ouch, you wound me with your cruel, cruel words," Tony brought his hand up to his chest in mock offense. The look on his face was so ridiculously adorable and just so Tony that she stalked off, refusing to let him see her growing smile.

"Just be there on time or I'm scheduling an extra meeting for you on Friday," she called back to him.

"You wouldn't!" he said incredulously.

Stopping in her tracks, she spun around to face him. "Try me, Mr Stark, and I promise you, it will be one of those drawn-out meetings with the board of directors."

With that, she gracefully strolled out of the workshop, leaving Tony to stare disbelievingly at her swaying hips.

That was the first time Pepper Potts had ever threatened Tony Stark.

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Pepper's threat must have had some bearing on Tony because not two hours later, he was at the benefit, dressed in his best Armani suit and on his best behaviour with the guests. Of course, he didn't make it there on time, he was more or less half an hour late, but when it comes to Tony Stark, Pepper decided she should just cut her losses and take what she can get.

Pepper herself was standing by the corner of the lounge with a few of her former colleagues from SI's accounting offices. She had promised Nick that she'd meet him there. Admittedly, a formal office event probably wasn't the best place to strike up a date, but she had a busy week, fussing over Tony's calendar and trying, unsuccessfully, to get him to own up to his responsibilities as CEO. She felt like she deserved the break to just unwind for the night.

"I heard you made quite a trip up the ladder. Impressed the big man himself," Teri Prancer prodded, hardly masking her desire for juicy gossip, especially when it came to Tony Stark. Teri was like many girls in the offices; smitten by the eccentric billionaire. Pepper was convinced that half of them applied for their jobs just to catch a glimpse of the man they'd drool over in the magazines.

"Yeah, well. I was just doing my job. There was a mistake that needed correcting…" Truthfully, this was not a topic that she was looking forward to broaching. There were many girls who had worked for the company for years that were desperate to catch Tony's eye. Pepper had only worked there for a month and yet had been pushed so high up the hierarchy, was not on these girls' hot list tonight.

"Oh, don't be so modest. You saved the company what, hundreds of millions of dollars? To top it off, you picked up on a mistake made by the Tony Stark. I'm sure he was flabbergasted, especially coming from someone like you."

Pepper didn't miss a beat. That backhanded compliment was all she needed to know that this girl wasn't as innocuous and supportive as she was pretending to be. Taking it in stride, Pepper bit back with her own shielded sense of sarcasm. "Oh, yes, Mr Stark was definitely surprised," she retaliated, all the while smiling politely. "In fact, he was expecting a simple mistake like that to be picked up by someone with seniority and so-called professional aptitude. Rest assured, Miss Prancer, he is definitely reconsidering the competence of certain higher offices."

The last part of that statement wasn't true, and Pepper knew it; Tony had wrapped up the whole affair after firing Ms Philman, but she couldn't deny the satisfaction she felt at seeing panic rise into Teri's snarky, pretentious features.

"Excuse me, Miss. May I have this dance?" Pepper felt a light tap on her back.

Smiling, she turned to find a familiar face. "Nick," she said, joyfully taking his hand as he led her down the dance floor.

Wrapping an arm around her waist and the other grasping her own, he pulled her in closer to him. "Sorry to keep you waiting. Ran into some unfortunate business in the office."

"Is everything alright?" she sounded so genuinely concerned that Nick couldn't help but smile to reassure her.

"Oh, it's nothing. Just another legal suit that came up at the worst possible timing. I was at a conference, the whole time trying to picture you in the sexy black dress you promised me you'd be wearing."

Her gaze turning sultry, she replied, "and? Does it live up to expectations?"

"Most definitely. In fact, I was surprised you didn't hear me walk in. I was convinced everyone could hear my jaw hitting the floor when I saw you. You look gorgeous, Ginny."

Pepper felt her tremor creep all the way down her spine in her backless, figure-hugging black dress. Nick wasn't anything like Tony Stark. Where Tony was charismatic and charming, Nick was shy and awkward. Tony had striking features and big, brown dreamy eyes. Nick, on the other hand, had the most generic face known to man. Don't get me wrong, he wasn't ugly, but he looked like the type of guy that tended to be forgotten once the night was over. However, there were also many things that Nick was and Tony just wasn't. Nick was kind, gentle, caring and hardworking. He had all the traits that screamed for Pepper to _make sure you don't blow it with him, Ginny. _Tony was brash, impulsive, inappropriate, irresponsible, and altogether just infuriating.

* * *

Overall, it was a perfectly good night… so far. The disasters of the last week pushed to back of her mind, Pepper actually found herself enjoying Nick's presence. She was even considering that by the time the night was over, she should probably invite Nick home for that cup of 'coffee' she thought she'd offer.

Of course, all good things must come to an end. By 10.30pm, Tony was so drunk, he was practically swaying on his feet. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Happy walk up to her. "Pardon me, ma'am, but I think the boss has had a little too much to drink. Maybe we should do something before it gets out of hand."

Sighing, Pepper cast an apologetic smile at Nick. "I'm sorry, Nick, but I have to go."

Nick, being the sweetheart that he was, smiled back reassuringly, but she could see his disappointment. "Don't worry about it, Gin. Duty calls. I understand."

"Thanks. Will you call me later?" She asked, hopeful.

His smile brightening, he answered, "most definitely. Wouldn't miss it for the world."

Hesitating for a moment, she fought her thundering heart to reach up until her lips met his. The kiss lasted for what seemed like barely a few seconds before she smiled wholeheartedly at him and sauntered off to babysit her man-child of a boss. He was left staring after her, sporting a wide, dorky grin.

* * *

A glance at the very drunk Tony Stark told her that getting him home was not going to be an easy feat. Nevertheless, leaving Happy to prepare the car, she approached him. "Mr Stark, I believe it's time to leave."

Tony turned to her, startled. She was quite sure that her angry stomping would have alerted anyone to her presence, however, in his drunken state, all his attention was focused on standing upright that he had failed to notice her. "Now, where did you get that idea from, Pepper?" he slurred, the whiskey in his hand sloshing about. "Party's just started."

"Okay, I'll take that," she said, snatching the glass out of his hands. "You've had enough already."

"Don't be ridiculous. That's an eleven year old Sullivan's Glove. There can never be enough."

Pepper snorted. Even from a few feet away, she could smell the stench of alcohol on his. And if that wasn't enough, Tony Stark forgetting the names of whiskey, would have been a clear enough indicator of his inebriated state. "Cove, Mr Stark. It's Sullivan's Cove," Pepper retorted, pushing him upright as he toppled onto her. "And need I remind you, you have a weapons demonstration tomorrow morning."

"Pfft. Snore alert. You're a party pooper, Miss Potts," he said, poking at her chest.

Pepper could feel her temper rising. She had not given up an evening with Nick just to listen to her boss insult her. "That's it." Straightening her back, she grabbed onto his arm and yanked him across the hall and out the door. Any protests he had was suppressed by the death glare she was sending him; either that or the bile rising to his throat from the sudden movement.

She sighed with relief when she saw Happy's car already waiting for them out front. Tony still wasn't ready to leave just yet, but he was no match for her in his drunken stupor. Shutting the door beside her, she was perfectly content to spend the journey in silence. Tony, however, had other ideas.

"Couldn't wait to get me alone, huh, Potts?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. "So, how's this going to go down? Hanky-panky in the backseat of a limo?"

"No, Mr Stark. In fact, let's keep all contact to a minimum." He was really testing her patience now. _What kind of girl does he think I am anyway?_

"Oh, come on, Pepper. You know you want to. You can pretend to be all innocent, but I know deep down, you're as kinky as I think you are," he said, grabbing her wrist. "If it's the money, I could totally double your pay for the night."

That was it, that's where she drew the line. She could put up with his inappropriate remarks, or even his brash comments. She was a professional, determined to take everything in stride, but she wouldn't tolerate being treated like a second rate prostitute. Looking at him for the first time since getting into the car, she withdrew her hand and slapped him hard across the face.

"Listen well, Mr Stark. I am not one of your sluts that you pick up at the bar, and I am not a hooker. You do not pay me to have sex with you, and neither will it ever happen. So keep that in mind before you ever spout off another tactless remark. Do I make myself clear?"

Instead of giving her an answer, he did the worst thing that he could possibly do at that moment. As the car jerked to a stop by the mansion, he found that he could no longer hold back the bile he'd been trying so hard to keep in. In a heart stopping moment, she saw his face contort before bending over and spewing all over her most expensive pair o_f Louis Vuitton shoes that her sister had saved up for as a going away gift._

_Clenc_hing her fists, she promised herself,_ a month. That's all, a month and I'm gone. The pay check will be big enough to cover three months' worth of salary I would've been making if I'd stayed on as a clerk. That's long enough for me to find a new job. I'll get him to write me a letter of recommendation, and I'll leave. No more Tony Stark._

She kept that promise in mind as Happy helped her cart him up to his bedroom. Once Tony was safely in bed, she dismissed Happy, and decided to wash up a bit and try to get the stench of Tony's vomit off her before she left for home. Left to her own thoughts, she found herself calming down quite considerably as she walked out of the bathroom.

A peek out the bathroom door revealed Tony Stark, strewn across his bed and snoring softly. Pepper couldn't help the sigh that escaped her. He looked so calm and peaceful in his sleep that her heart fluttered slightly at the adorable sight before her. She couldn't handle working for him; he was just an unpredictable storm of chaos to her perfectly structured world, but somehow, just looking at him now made her want to take care of him, protect him from his destructive behaviour. And so, she did just that. It wouldn't be much, but she found herself placing a bottle of Advil and a glass of water by his side desk to help with the hangover he'd no doubt be having tomorrow.

Out the corner of her eye, she saw a hand shoot out and grabbed her wrist. She jumped at the sudden contact, turning around to find Tony, staring at her with the most sincere look she'd ever seen on his face. "Pepper, I'm sorry for ruining you night. You are one of the nicest people I've ever met. Please don't leave," he whispered softly before flopping back down onto the bed to continue his snoring.

_Crap. I'm not going anywhere, am I?_

* * *

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